Let’s be real—finding food influencers is easy.
Finding the right ones? That’s a whole different story.
Not all influencers are created equal. Some drive real traffic and bookings. Others? Just likes and no shows.
So how do you find creators who align with your restaurant’s vibe, values, and audience—and actually get results?
Let’s break it down. 👇
Step 1: Define What “Right” Means for You 🔍
Before you scroll through hashtags or start DMing people, ask yourself:
- Are you trying to boost brand awareness, increase visits, or build UGC (user-generated content)?
- Do you want someone with a huge reach, or a local creator with a smaller but loyal following?
- Is your restaurant high-end, casual, niche, or fast-paced?
The better you know your goals and audience, the easier it’ll be to spot influencers who can help you reach them.
🎯 Pro tip: Micro-influencers (5k–50k followers) often have higher engagement and feel more authentic to local audiences.
Step 2: Search in the Right Places 🗺️
Now that you know what you’re looking for, here’s where to actually find them:
📱 Instagram & TikTok
Search location-based hashtags like:
#NYCFoodie#LAFoodie#AustinEats
Or look at geotagged content from other local restaurants and see who’s posting.
🍽️ Google & Blogs
Search for local food blogs or roundups. Many bloggers also post to social media.
🤝 Influencer Platforms
Tools like Mustard (yep, that’s us 👋) connect restaurants with pre-vetted food creators who match your goals, city, and style.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You just need the right tools.
Step 3: Vet Them Like a Pro ✅
Not every influencer who posts a latte art pic is the real deal.
Here’s what to check:
1. Engagement Rate
How many real likes, comments, or shares are they getting per post?
👉 A high follower count with low engagement = 🚩
2. Content Quality
Do they take clean, appetizing shots? Is their video editing solid? Would you want your food shown that way?
3. Audience Fit
Are their followers local? Do they actually care about food?
(Tip: Ask for audience insights or media kits—real influencers have these ready.)
4. Consistency & Vibe
Is their tone playful, elegant, casual, or chaotic? It should align with your brand. A fine dining spot probably doesn’t need meme-heavy content.
🔥 Bonus: Look at their comment section. Are people asking where the place is? Saying they want to go? That’s real influence.
Step 4: Start the Conversation 🗨️
Once you’ve got a shortlist, reach out clearly and professionally:
- Introduce your restaurant
- Mention what you like about their content
- Be specific about what you're offering (a comped meal, paid post, etc.)
- Set expectations (e.g., 1 Instagram post + 2 stories)
📩 Sample DM:
“Hey [Name]! We love your foodie content, especially your recent post at [other local spot]. We’d love to invite you in to try [dish/specialty] at [Your Restaurant]—on us. Let us know if you’re interested!”
Or, skip the DMs entirely and use a platform like Mustard to send automated, branded invitations at scale to thousands of influencers in your area. Clean, fast, and no awkward back-and-forth.
Step 5: Track the Results 📊
The job doesn’t end when the Reel goes live. You want to know what worked.
Look at:
- Reach + engagement on their post
- Click-throughs to your page
- In-store traffic (bonus if you can track bookings or redemptions)
- Whether they generated solid UGC for you to reuse
Using Mustard? We track all of this for you, from post links to performance metrics. So you actually know who’s worth working with again.
Final Thoughts 🍽️
Finding the right food influencers is part art, part science. But when you match with creators who actually get your brand—and your neighborhood—the results are real.
More reach. More engagement. More full tables. 🍷
Ready to stop guessing and start growing with influencer marketing that actually works?
👉 Find influencers with Mustard today
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